A future in the wind
by Lord Genesis Shadow
Summary: It took him a few years longer than most, but he would live his dream regardless. With his partner Nocturne at his side, his future awaits. Posted for Mariokutai-Reincarnated. Rated T for teens.
1. Chapter 1

**Once more I post for my friend Mariokutai-Reincarnated. I believe that is already known just from the summary, but I figured I would make sure it was known. Without further ado...**

Summary – A newbie trainer (With heavy amounts of research) starts his journey in Littleroot Town. Follow him as he discovers the secrets of his world, fights through the most terrifying wars and falls for the most unexpected person

AN – Hi all, it's me, M-R, back with another Pokémon Fanfic that you will **hopefully** enjoy. I did certainly enjoy writing it and I hope you enjoy reading it and the upcoming chapters as much as I enjoy writing them.

Rating – M (For the future chapters. No more being said)

Disclaimer – Ah yes...The Disclaimer. Well, I own only the Personalities of the Pokémon and the OCs. The species used are Copyright to Nintendo, as are the locations and names of items. The name "Gene "Zero" Alastor" belongs to my close friend, Lord Genesis Shadow.

-=-=-

-OC's POV-

"Eighteen and only just started training? Well aren't you a little slow?"

I scowled at my mother as she babbled on about how I was "Eight years" too late and such crap. I wasn't paying her much attention; I was busy sorting out my items into the correct pockets of my bag. I'd spent eight years getting jobs and saving money so that I could prepare for the journey, I'd managed to purchase fifty of each item I'd need.

"Well Mum...I'm outta here. Wish me luck?" I told her, staring into her Viridian eyes, which were narrowed in thought. Or in an attempt to stop tears from spilling out.

"Well...Good luck...Don't go and get yourself killed..." I could hear the tears quaking in her voice

"Geez, I ain't that stupid..." I replied as I rubbed the back of my head, running my fingers through my hair. It was, as usual, an absolute mess, small tangles causing me to wince as I forced my fingers through. "But heck, I'll try..."

"Good" She pulled me into an embrace, an awkward embrace; we weren't exactly the "Cuddly" parent-child people

I opened the front door and, with one last look back at my mother, I left, closing the door behind me with a quick snap.

-=-=-

I wandered over to Professor Birch's lab and, with barely hidden enthusiasm, knocked loudly on the door. The door was opened by his aid who, with a regrettable apology, told me the Professor was out doing research. I knew where he'd be, he was just north of Littleroot town, no doubt being chased by a Poochyena, or a Zigzagoon, something small and annoying that would cause a Professor who doesn't pay much attention to panic.

As I reached the exit of Littleroot and, I heard a very familiar yelping sound. Two very familiar yelping sounds, in fact, one of them was a Poochyena and the other was a Professor. Professor Birch, to be exact, the Pokémon "Expert" of Hoenn, a fact I shook my head at, how on earth such a bumbling idiot had come to be renowned as a man with knowledge that almost bettered Professor Oak's was just...I shook my head again.

"Hello Birch. Need a hand?" I called as I watched the slightly greying man run from the yelping, and no doubt offended Poochyena.

"Please!! Help me!!" Birch cried quickly, holding the angry pup at bay with his spare notebook "In my bag!! Pokéballs!! Hurry!!"

"Okay, okay, hold your hair on..." I rummaged through the bags and found three pokeballs. The first had a sticker over the button, it read "Corphish". The second pokeball read "Skorupi" and the third pokeball read "Gligar". All three were Pokémon I didn't recognise, I was originally from Kanto and, in the oddly sheltered town of Lavender, not many Pokémon came through. The only ones that did were dead and either in boxes or clay pots.

I picked Skorupi and, with a grin, threw the pokeball in front of the sweating Professor. It burst open and revealed a bright red scorpion Pokémon, it stood about two feet tall and its slanted eyes glared at the now hysterical Professor with a mix of hilarity and disgust. Its tail waved slowly, the pincers that adorned its tail shimmering in the mid morning light and the pincers on its front clicked together quietly.

"Okay Skorupi!! Let's do this!!"

[Ugh...Yes sir...Bloody humans...] The Skorupi grumbled quietly, sighing heavily as its four small legs pushed it forwards. It tapped the Poochyena on the back and then, when it had turned around, slapped the poor pup round the face with its tail, causing the Poochyena to yelp and squeal in fear as it ran away

"Nice one Skorupi!!" I cried "A little unorthodox, but to hell with it!! Return!"

[Whatever...] Skorupi hissed, deadpanning

Professor Birch gave a shaky thanks, before gathering up his scattered items and shoving them in his bag. He wandered over to me, placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed, leading me back to Littleroot.

-=-=-

"Sorry, but you are?"

I deadpanned. Birch hadn't met us yet, in fact, his entire family had no idea we existed, they were always so busy with work, Pokémon training and Professor-ing.

"Lexus. Lexus Amaranthine. I live...Next door to you."

"...Oh...Oh!! I am so, so sorry! We never greeted you!! Oh my boy, I offer my sincere apologies!"

"To hell with it, Birch. I'm not gonna hold it against you. So...What now?"

"Well, Mr. Amaranthine"

"Whoa!! Mr. Amaranthine was my father. Please, call me Lexus. Or Lex, whatever's easiest"

Professor Birch chuckled as he looked at me; there was something in his eyes that I'd seen before. But I couldn't place the position of the...Thing.

"Well, Lex, I'm going to do this." He handed me a package, wrapped in brown paper. I unwrapped it, knowing immediately what it was. "That, my boy, is the newest model of Pokedex. I had to order it from Sinnoh, as that region is now the only one that makes the Dex."

I turned the red, tablet-like object around in my hands, my face adorned with a massive grin. My very own Pokedex, MY very own Pokedex.

"And I'm giving you this." Birch handed me a plastic card, about the same size as a credit card. This card was an official Pokémon League entry card, which was obviously going to be used when I reached Victory Road. "You ready for this, Lex? The road is going to be hard. So hard, you may feel like giving up, or digging yourself a hole and dying in it. Can you handle the League challenge?!"

I jumped forwards and adopted a confident stance; legs spread apart, one arm pointed at Birch, the other clutching the pokeball I'd used to save Birch

"You damn well bet I can!!"

"Excellent!! Now then. About the Pokémon you used. Seeing as you opened the pokeball, it makes you the rightful owner of that Skorupi. What're you gonna name it?"

I tapped my chin, thinking about it for a second. Naming Pokémon had never been a strong point of mine and I didn't want to insult my seemingly rage filled Skorupi.

"I'll call my partner...Nocturne"

"Oh! Almost forgot! You'll be wanting these, they're standard issue now. Silph Co's greatest product yet, the Poké Translators"

I slapped a palm to my forehead. Of course. Silph Co. That meant only one thing. Gene "Zero" Alastor, a nearly legendary Pokémon trainer, a man of such skill and power that the Elite Four and the Pokémon Champion from each Region respect completely. Though he was kind, caring and merciful...Well, those who managed to anger him paid the price for their foolishness. And the fool would never do it again. But amongst all the rumours of his power came smaller rumours, about the people whose marriages he'd funded, the money he'd donated to Pokémon charities across the globe. I'd give my left leg to meet the man.

"These are clip on, seeing as how it looks as if you don't have a piercing...Here."

I took the translators and clipped them on my ears. Nothing, obviously, as there were no Pokémon to speak to, thus leading me to remedy the problem by releasing Nocturne.

'Yes? What is it this time?' The bug Pokémon asked me, his voice a bored monotone

"Oh...My...God...These actually work!"

'What works? Hey, what're you babbling about, you moron?'

"Don't call me a moron Nocturne; you don't see me calling you stupid names."

'Holy crap!! You...You can talk Pokémon?!'

"No, but I can understand Pokémon." I pointed to the clip on earrings "See? These translate your speech."

Nocturne shook his head in bewilderment

'And why would you want to understand me?'

"Well...What if you get hurt?"

Nocturne didn't get a chance to answer, Birch interrupted, his face alight with joy.

"Okay you two, you can bicker later! Right now, you've got a fantastic journey to get on with!!"

I grinned as I looked down at Nocturne who, with a feeble shrug that spoke tales of how he couldn't be bothered, wandered over to me and began a slow ascent to my shoulder.

'I like it up here...Can I stay?' Nocturne asked me in his monotone

"Sure. Just don't catch me with those pins of yours" I told him, cocking an eyebrow

'Hm? I...Suppose I could keep them at bay...Considering my position and all...'

I thanked Professor Birch and, with a spring in my step, walked out of the lab, my partner sitting (somewhat happily) on my shoulder. I took a deep breath and headed north, for route 101 and my first step of the long and no doubt painful journey.

-=-=-

'So...Who the hell are you?' Nocturne asked me, his blue eyes staring straight ahead

"Like I said, I'm Lexus Amaranthine. I'm eighteen years old and I used to live in Kanto."

'What's Kanto like?'

"...Different. There's a different atmosphere about the whole region. Most of the people in Kanto are trainers and you can hardly ever go to any city without hearing someone talk about the Indigo Plateau, or the Pokémon League"

'...Indigo...Plateau?'

"It's the home of the Pokémon League; it's where the massive competition between trainers and their Pokémon take place"

'...Will we go there?'

I looked at my partner, surprise in my eyes as I did so. He spoke that with...A certain degree of longing. Maybe he wanted to prove to Kanto that Sinnoh was indeed the better of the four regions?

"Heck, we'll be doing all three of them"

'Three? I thought there were four regions?'

"Johto and Kanto share the same league, because the two regions might as well be next door neighbours"

'I see...'

The walk up to Oldale town was disappointingly uneventful; I'd hoped to maybe get involved in a few battles, to help boost Nocturne's confidence. But after further prying, I discovered he didn't **need** a confidence boost. After all, he was as confident as any Pokémon ever could be.

I looked around and, after deciding to go straight on to Petalburg City, was promptly noticed and called over by a Pokemart clerk. This, I decided, was going to be fun.

"Hello there young man, we're just promoting our business, so"

"I've already bought enough stuff from a Pokemart, thanks kindly" I interrupted, showing the contents of my bag. Her mouth dropped open suddenly and she gaped at my cornucopia of Pokemart items, from potions to max revives and antidotes to full restores.

"Well. In that case, keep on training, trainer!!" The sales clerk cheered as she went into the Pokemart, no doubt to gossip about me.

I wasn't rich; I'd used all my savings in one shopping spree, buying everything I could afford to make sure my precious team wouldn't stay injured for long. After all, I couldn't stand the thought of my friends and partners remaining injured for more than a few minutes.

I headed off to route 102 and, with five empty pokeballs on my belt, I glared at the grass, ready to jump in and scare up some Pokémon. I walked up to the grass and was bowled over by...Well, I didn't know what the hell it was, but it nearly blew me and Nocturne away.

I looked behind me quickly and saw a quick flash of red zipping past, faster than anything I'd ever seen in my whole life, it went by so fast that by the time I'd felt the wind of its movements ruffle my hair and clothes, it had been a whole minute.

'Hey...Hello? You there? OI!!' I felt the blunt edge of a spike tap my forehead and I shook my head clear of the fog that had clouded my mind, but, no matter how I tried, I couldn't shake the odd smell the wind had carried. It smelled like...Like a lot of things. There was the salty tang of the sea, the woody bite of a forest and the sweet and tender caress of...Chrysanthemums. Wow...That was an unusual flower, especially in this part of the world.

I knew they were rare, simply by the fact that my mother, in all her infinite parental wisdom, grew them. If there were flowers in the house, they were Chrysanthemums; she'd not have roses or tulips anywhere in the house. Always Chrysanthemums. Weird woman.

-=-=-

-???'s POV-

"So...Did you see him?"

My elder brother hung over me, his eyes...Not cross, but not exactly happy. More...Anxious.

"Yeah, I saw him"

"And from the look of his face, I'd say he's got your scent memorized..."

"You think so?" I asked "I was faster than you..."

"I noticed. The air resistance you left behind took a whole minute to ruffle his hair"

I giggled as I looked up at my brother, his eyes, the beautiful shade of Claret, sparkling brightly as laughter filled his gaze. It was rare, now, to see my older brother laughing, whether it were verbal or merely through his expressions. He was more often than not somber and less inclined to go out into the world.

"...You must not let any of the other know of this."

"Why?"

"They will go ballistic and try to remove him. Even though the humans have accepted it, doesn't mean the higher Pokémon have. Well, except for Arceus, but she was always an unusual Goddess"

My head slumped, as did my happiness, it was obvious, my pristine white down greyed slightly and my vibrant red down began to darken, becoming a more blood red shade. This meant that...If any of the others got wind of the human I'd become stricken with...They'd make it their personal duty to rip him to tiiiiiny little pieces.

"Come now Sister. It is time to move on."

I nodded sadly, rubbing at the stinging sensation in my eyes. I would not cry in front of my brother, I was tired of looking weak.

"'kay..."

-=-=-

-Lexus' POV-

I could still smell that curious smell, but I couldn't place the location nor the bearer of the scent. It irritated me to no end but, like many things, I filed it away in my mental filing cabinet, for another day.

I journeyed into the grass and was met by my first challenge, a Taillow. Taillow, a bird Pokémon, had the advantage of quick growth, they were much like the Pidgey of Kanto, their bodies were constantly growing, growing at a rate that far outshone many other species of Pokémon.

'Wah!! Human!! Oh no, oh no, oh no...I...I'll fight!'

"Alrighty Nocturne, you ready to rock?"

Nocturne sighed as he slowly clambered down from my shoulder and slowly wandered in front of the Taillow

'Look, bird brain, I don't want much trouble here, okay?'

'...B...Bird...Brain?!'

'Yeah. Bird brain. Get in the pokeball, okay? Yow!!'

The Taillow glowered at Nocturne as it flapped its wings angrily, its eyes blazing with anger as it returned to its starting spot, having slapped Nocturne with its wings

'I'll give you bird brain!! C'mere, I'll peck the living crap outta you!!'

"Nocturne, Bite!!"

'Huh?! Oh yeah!!'

Nocturne skittered forwards quickly, his red skin gleaming as he passed through the sunlight. He stopped in front of the Taillow and quickly skipped backwards, avoiding a sloppy peck attack before lunging forwards and wrapping his teeth around the chest of the Taillow.

The little bird squawked as Nocturne skipped backwards. This was my cue! I took a pokeball from my belt and, with a small grunt, flung it forwards, watching with bated breath as the small orb grew, opened and drew in the almost unconscious bird. The ball shuddered quietly and my eyes widened, was the bird going to escape?

My fears were erased when the pokeball locked down with a clear "Ping" and, with a triumphant "Harrumph" from Nocturne, I retrieved the thrown pokeball. I dug into my pack and drew out a potion which, after unscrewing the cap, had the nozzle placed against the button and spraying, the pokeball dealing with the transference phase.

After a few seconds passed, in which time I had screwed the cap onto the half empty potion bottle and placed it on my special "Utility" belt, ready to be used at a moments notice, I released the newest member of my team.

'Ah crap! Now I'm gonna be a slave!!'

"Whoa there little...Uhm..."

'Girl, thanks. I'm a girl'

"Well then, milady, where the hell did you hear that?"

'Momma and Poppa told me'

"Well your parents are sadly mistaken. You are not my slave, you are my ally and hopefully, you will be my friend"

'...Friend?'

"Yeah. But now I have to give you a nickname...I was never good at this..."

Nocturne, now clambering tirelessly up my arm, gave a bark of a chuckle

'How about Birdbrain?'

"Nocturne!!"

Nocturne cackled as he sat on my right shoulder, his eyes closed as he laughed

"Nah, I was thinking of...Chidori"

'Chidori?' The Taillow asked me, brow knitted in confusion

"It means One Thousand Birds. It seems fitting, when taking your species tenacity in consideration"

'...I still don't understand...'

"Well, your species is known for its never ending fighting spirit, even taking on Pokémon like Skarmory or Pidgeot"

Chidori nodded suddenly, her face lighting up as she recognised what I said. No doubt they were the legends the Swellow species told their Taillow children at night. She hopped over to my hand and clung to my middle finger gently, wobbling slightly as I lifted her to my left shoulder, where she hopped off my finger, ruffled her feathers a bit then settled down, her talons dug in slightly to prevent her from falling.

"Alrighty you two. I need you to solemnly swear that there shall be **no** shoulder battles. So?"

'I promise, Lexus' Chidori chirruped in my ear

'...Eh, fine, fine...' Nocturne droned

"Excuse me?" I turned my head and looked at him, narrowing my eyes

'...Eh...Promise...'

"Thank you, Chidori, Nocturne. Let's keep going"

-=-=-

-Chidori's POV-

I looked my...Ally...up and down. He was pretty nondescript at first glance, with his long black hair, with streaks of lemon yellow disturbing the tranquil darkness. His eyes were an unusual shade of purple, Heliotrope, I think it was called, a favourite flower of my Taillow friends and my Momma.

He was wearing black denim shorts, the left leg had been cut at the shin, the other leg had been cut just above the knee. On his feet he wore trainers, black trainers with yellow laces which were undone. His torso attire consisted of a skin tight black shirt with a loose black shirt over that, the words "In the Reaper I trust" stitched in the front and back.

He was indeed an interesting figure, just from speaking to him about my new name I discovered some simple facts, he was terrible with names. Also, he was quite analytical and logical, he seemed to have a strange bond with Nocturne, it was somewhere between friends and associates.

And he appeared to love easily, especially with the show of affection he'd given me, placing me on the mirror side to Nocturne.

I sighed happily and, clenching tightly the strap of his backpack, I fell into a gentle sleep.

-=-=-

-Arceus' POV-

I sighed heavily as I looked down upon the world.

"What's up, Arc?" A heavy voice asked me

"Pal...Good to see you..." I answered, hoping to dissuade him from his question

"What's up?" Pal asked again as he got to me. Pal and myself were in our human forms, it made conversing somewhat easier, though more often not it was uncomfortable. With the human form came the human tendency to piss up ones speech.

"I've...Once again...Been referred to...As male..." I hissed quietly, the animosity pouring off of me in dark waves

"Whoa...Calm down Arc; don't go hurling your heavenly wrath on 'em. How're they supposed to know? They're only human after all" He chuckled, looking down on the world "Oop...Lemme get that..."

Pal dipped his finger into the viewing bowl and wiped off a small speck of pulsing purple, a breach in the fabrics of space. A door, further away, burst open quite roughly, being blown off its hinges and flung far off.

"Has anyone seen Alita?!" The voice of Altio roared, his Claret eyes wild

"'Fraid not, Altio" Pal called back to him

"Pal!! Out!! Now!! I have important and private matters to discuss with Arc!!" Altio snarled viciously

"Hey man, I can listen in. I'm pretty important too" Pal began

"Pal...Please" I put my hand on his shoulder gently and, with a quiet and annoyed growl, Pal vanished

I rubbed my temples, trying in vain to remove the human affliction called "Headache", though it looked more like Altio needed the help. He was frantic, to say the least.

"What's the matter, Altio?" I asked gently

"Alita is missing and she's either doing one of three things. One, she's flying around her favourite things. Beach, Forest and Shaymin's field. Two, she's at Mamma's grave. Three, she's hunting down..." Altio finished in a weak mumble, realising he'd said too much

"Excuse me? Did I hear a word that sounded like...Human?" I asked, an eyebrow cocked as my Emerald eyes glittered

"...Dammit, yes, fine!! A...Yeah...One of them"

"Why so agitated? She's a legendary; she'll be more than fine. She might be immature, but she's young, what do you expect?"

"I think she's...Stricken by him..."

My eyebrows shot into my hairline as I giggled into my palm, causing Altio to snarl angrily

"It isn't funny!!" He snapped at me, vanishing in a flurry of grey down

I finished my giggling fit and sighed heavily as I reassumed my Legendary form. Altio was far too highly strung and far too distrusting.

-=-=-

AN – Well...This is the first chapter finished. R&R is appreciated, as my confidence is still at a questionable level. Bad and Good comments are preferred, as long as it is constructive

Thanks all

M-R


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, it's all spelled out below. The second chapter, the information, etcetera. Now that we've cleared that up...**

AN – M-R, back with the second chapter of "A future in the wind" The writing process is a slow one on occasion, but it can be a period of time filled to bursting with ideas.

DC – You all know the drill. I don't own Pokémon, only the OCs and personalities, with the exception of Gene "Zero" Alastor, who happens to belong to Lord Genesis Shadow.

AN2 – The period of time in which this fiction is set wasn't made clear. I can only say that this story is set two years after some very important events in "The man with a Gallade's Arm". However, this means that certain events will be delayed and, if it comes to it, the fiction shall have to be put on **hiatus** until such a time that I can continue with my work. However, the possibility of **hiatus** happening is slim. Continue, please.

-=-=-

-Lexus' POV-

Walking into Petalburg City, I noticed something odd. It wasn't very...City-like, it was small and peaceful, the breeze was...Well, it wasn't as clean and fresh as it could be, but with the new laws put in place about car fumes and coal fires and the like, the air had freshened a considerable amount.

'A gym? Already? Are we going to have to fight?' Nocturne asked me in his usual monotone

"I...Don't think so. That gym belongs to Norman Maple, the father of the Co-ordinator extraordinaire, May Maple. But he's well out of our league, for now"

'Well that's odd' Nocturne muttered 'Why put the Gym here?'

"It's close to Littleroot, which is where he lives. It's so he can go home for lunch"

Chidori was slumbering on my shoulder, twice already I'd caught her as she'd slumped forwards, remaining undisturbed in her rest. The battle she'd had with Nocturne must have worn her out in a way that a Potion just couldn't fix.

'So...Where are we headed then?' Nocturne asked me, turning to look at me

"Well, we'll have to go to Rustboro City, which means a trip through Petalburg Woods."

'Will we train?'

"Certainly. I'll also need to catch a Shroomish; the Rustboro Gym leader uses Rock type Pokémon"

'I take it Shroomish is a grass type?'

"Yeah. And from what I've researched, it starts out with Absorb, so we can go to the Rusturf Tunnel and fight some Geodude"

Nocturne remained silent as we passed the gym, passed the pond and came out to a beach. The smell of salt in the air caused me to shiver slightly, I loved the beach. Not for the sand castles and the swimming, heck I couldn't swim an inch, no, I loved the beach for the smell of salt in the air and the sleep inducing sound of the waves lapping at the sandy shores.

"...Wanna stop?"

'Hm? Why would we do that?'

"You telling me you've never played before?"

'...No...What is playing?'

I deadpanned, coming to an abrupt halt and almost flinging Chidori off my shoulder.

"You..." I sighed heavily "Playing is just messing around, having fun. You seriously need to lighten up buddy"

'...Will Chidori...Play?'

"If she can find the energy to, maybe"

I gently prodded the chest of Chidori, causing her to cheep weakly as she woke from her slumber

"Hey there. You feeling better?"

'Much, thank you' Chidori reinforced the fact with a long yawn 'What's the problem?'

"No problem. I just wanted to know if you'd like to stop at the beach. Have a little play?"

'I'd love too!! I never got to go to the beach when Momma and Poppa went...'

"Then it's settled. Let's go down there!"

Nocturne sighed heavily as I walked down the steps and onto the sand. He did look bored, but there was also a hint of something else...Fear? I couldn't tell. My friend's expressions were often difficult to read. Try making jam out of concrete. It's that kind of difficult.

As I got to the bottom step, I freed my feet of their socks and trainers and wandered off onto the warm sand, while Chidori fluttered off to inspect a shiny object she'd seen. Nocturne, however, waited for me to settle down before doing anything and, once I'd sat down, he slowly crawled his way down my chest, down my legs until he reached my ankles, where he promptly hopped off and began to wander about.

'Is it edible?'

"What? The sand?"

'Mhmm'

"No. Sand is rocks and pebbles that have been ground down by the wind and rain."

Nocturne remained silent as he walked slowly on the sand, giving a small chuckle as he noticed himself sink slightly with each step. He gathered a small pile of sand in front of him and then, with another chuckle, squished it flat with his pincers.

"Having fun?"

'Odd of me to say, but yes. I am'

"See? This is playing. Now go play with Chidori, get to know her. And **don't** call her Birdbrain!"

'...Hm...Okay...And don't worry, I'll play nice...'

I laughed as I watched Nocturne dig slowly into the sand and then tunnel his way over to Chidori who, busy inspecting shiny pebbles, was oblivious to the plan. I could see the small mound of sand that was him creeping closer and closer until, with a sharp 'Boo!' Nocturne popped out from the sand and scared the living feathers off of Chidori.

Looking around, I saw the beach was pretty much deserted today, save for me and my team and a small lump of red and white in the distance. Then it sat up and, in spite of what I knew it to be, I felt the sudden need to go over and see if this...Lump...Was okay.

"Hey...You okay?" I asked, giving the lump a gentle prod. A giggle made its way out of the lump and, with a speed that shocked me into stepping back, the lump became a figure. Or, to be more precise, a female figure that looked about sixteen.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks for the concern though" The girl answered, smiling broadly. I couldn't help but notice that odd scent from earlier in the day, Sea Salt, trees and Chrysanthemums. I shook my head quickly and faced the girl sat on the sand. She patted the sand next to her and, not wishing to seem rude, I sat next to her, still unable to shake the odd feeling of familiarity.

We were quiet for a little while and I could feel my eyes drooping as the wind and the lapping waves started to drag me into unconsciousness. I crossed my arms behind my head and with a quiet and contented sigh, fell asleep.

-=-=-

-Alita's POV-

I knew for a fact that if I was caught by Altio, or any of the others, that I would be scolded. Only difference was, if Altio found me, he'd whisk me away faster than I could say "By Arceus!" If one of the others found me, however, they'd tear this innocent and interesting human into itty bitty pieces.

Which I wanted to avoid. Desperately. I looked over to ask him a question, out of curiosity, to find him asleep. As usual, my curiosity got the better of me and I sneaked over to him and, kneeling, looked closely at him.

His nose looked to have been broken once, there was an odd lump on the bridge of his nose and he had a few scars, faded and almost the exact same shade as his skin. They'd be invisible if it wasn't for the obvious placing of them, one on the bridge of his nose, suggesting the reasoning for the broken nose had also created the wound. The other scar was under his left eye, a small and thin horizontal line.

His nose wasn't overly large, it was...Kinda sharp and, with his slightly slanted eyes, it gave him the look of anger or constant thought. His brow possessed a few lines, premature wrinkles from having his brow furrowed in thought and the corners of his eyes looked weak, as if he'd been squinting a lot.

I giggled quietly as he snoozed, oblivious to my searching stare. He was most certainly attractive, in his unique way. He gave a weak and sleepy mutter, as if in pain and his right eyelid twitched weakly.

I sat up, not wishing to disturb him and thus turned my view onto his two Pokémon. I'd found out their names from Arc, the Shiny Skorupi was called Nocturne and his newest addition, a Taillow, was called Chidori. They were playing happily in the sand, sending sprays of it into the air and laughing as the fine grains pelted them on its return trip.

I adjusted my Kimono slightly and stood up, sighing sadly. I could practically **feel** Altio nearby, he was certainly angry with me for not telling him where I was going. Though...If he moaned at me for seeing the human (Whose name **still** escaped me), I'd definitely bite back. I came here to reminisce; I had not intended to meet this human. Though it had been a nice surprise.

-=-=-

-Altio's POV-

"Alright then Sister, what the hell was the meaning of this?!"

I was angry. Not at her, or her human, who had fallen asleep and was thus innocent. I was angry with myself, for not being more...Well...I didn't know. But I knew the anger that was boiling away in my gut was aimed at myself.

"What? It's not like I knew he'd be here..." Alita replied sulkily as the Kimono she wore slowly faded, along with her human form, revealing her White and Red down, her yellow eyes watering as tears threatened to spill.

"...I...Alita...The least you could have done was tell me **where** you were going to be." I sighed heavily "I've been spotted twice today whilst looking for you"

"...Sorry Altio..." Alita whispered as the tears ran down her cheeks, her entire body darkening with her sadness "I didn't...Mean to...Worry you..."

I sighed again. I'd made Alita cry, if Mamma or Pappa were here, they'd have scolded me for sure.

"I'm only looking out for your safety. You know what Pappa would have said"

"Yeah, but Pappa isn't here! He died being stupid! And you're not Pappa!!" Alita snapped back at me. She resented our father for what he did. He had never trusted the humans and, when a group of three had stumbled upon Alita, myself and our mother, he went berserk, refusing to listen to their pleas of "We're lost, we're sorry for disturbing you!"

In his rage, he proceeded to assault the humans and, as a punishment, was destroyed by Arceus, who had titled him a "Threat to the already shaky harmony between the Human and Pokémon worlds" and "A reckless Pokémon who had threatened the safety of the treaty"

"Pappa feared the humans! He was only doing what he thought was right!! He was protecting his family!!" I retorted acidly

"Pappa was selfish!! And you...You're...Becoming more and more like him...Every day..."

My eyes widened as she admitted a dark secret.

"...Why do you...Why do you say that?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper

"Because it is true, Altio. You try too hard to protect me and in the end...All you do is remind me of Pappa..." Alita whispered, before vanishing in a cloud of down.

I shifted into my human form and snarled angrily as I paced backwards and forwards. I had to talk to Arc about this. I turned on my heel and vanished, leaving but a fine cloud of down in my wake.

-=-=-

-Lexus' POV-

A sharp tap on my nose woke me up and, as I sat up slowly, I realised that the girl had gone. In fact, it had gotten a bit darker too.

"How long have I been out?" I asked no one in particular

'Four hours' came the monotone of Nocturne 'You're lucky we were having a good time, otherwise we'd have woken you up earlier'

"Agh! Four hours?! No wonder I'm hungry..." I grumbled as my stomach seconded my opinion

'It's okay Lexus' the small voice of Chidori chirruped 'Wasn't there a restaurant in Petalburg?'

"Yeah...But I ain't made of money...And we haven't had a single trainer fight yet, so I haven't made any cash..."

I looked around and sighed heavily. Nothing. And no one. Just the sand, the sea and that recurring smell of the Sea, a forest and flowers.

'Wait...So you came on an adventure...And didn't pack food?!!'

"Uhm...Yeah..." I muttered, unable to look my now infuriated scorpion partner in the eyes

'...How on **earth** could anyone be as stupid as you?' Nocturne snapped viciously

"Hey hey! I'm sorry, okay?! I was...I was a bit excited!!" I retaliated weakly, waving my arms

'...Eh...Well...I suppose...Seeings how it's your first screw up...I can forgive...'

I sighed weakly and gathered up my bag, digging my jacket out from it and slinging it around my shoulders. It wasn't a particularly warm jacket, neither was it waterproof, but it was enough for me. I slung my bag on my back and, after letting Nocturne and Chidori take their places on my shoulders, set off to Petalburg Woods, where I would no doubt get lost. Or attacked. Or both.

-=-=-

I hate it when I'm right.

-=-=-

"C'mon guy!!Let's have a two on two!! If I win, I get the shiny scorpion thing!!"

I deadpanned, sweating slightly as I stared at the overenthusiastic Bug Boy. First off, I held no doubt in my heart that I would win. Secondly and further proving the first point, my team was no doubt better than his. Third, there was no way in hell I'd give him Nocturne even if I lost. What an idiot.

"Look, kid, I ain't ever letting **anyone** get their filthy mitts on my buddy" I reinforced the fact by scratching just behind Nocturne's eyes, causing him to sigh contently "So just give that idea up"

"...Fine...But I'll still kick your ass!!" He cried, flinging two pokeballs into the air. The opened quickly, releasing the tenants, a Nincada and a Wurmple. I sighed and pointed at the Pokémon, signalling Chidori and Nocturne to go and win already.

"Nocturne, Bite. Chidori, Peck" I told them, my voice revealing how boring this battle would be

"Nincada!! Fury Swipes!! Wurmple!! Bug Bite!!"

"Gah!!" I'd underestimated my foe and, as a result, been burned. This Bug Boy had trained! "Noc, Chi, evade!!"

Nocturne and Chidori hopped backwards quickly, dodging the vicious flurry of claws and the quick snap of teeth, their composures obviously shaken. They weren't used to battles, and this trainer looked to be a step above what even I was ready for.

"If you two wanna give in, I won't think any worse of you!!" I cried quickly. I didn't need them getting hurt already.

'No way' Nocturne hissed back at me 'We have our pride. We will win this battle!!'

'Have faith!' Chidori chirruped 'We'll make you proud!'

"...O-okay...Nocturne!! Slap 'em!! Chidori!! Kick up dust to cover Nocturne!!"

Chidori quickly flapped her wings hard, digging her talons into the ground to stop her from taking off. As the dust flew into the air, I managed to catch a glimpse of a red shape wandering into the dust then, causing me to grin widely; I heard the pained yelps of two Pokémon.

'Ow!'

'Yowch!!'

'Yeah, let that be a lesson to the both of ya!!' The of Nocturne taunted

"Come back Nocturne!!"

'I'm coming, I'm coming'

The dust cloud began to settle and I could plainly see a bright red spot on both Pokémon, where Nocturne had slapped them around the face with his tail. And I could plainly hear the cackles of Nocturne and the giggles of Chidori. I myself was hiding a smirk with my hand as I struggled to keep my face hidden.

"Hey!! I see you laughing!! Stop laughing at me!! Gah!! Return, Nincada and Wurmple!!"

"Wait a minute!!" I called as the Bug Boy attempted to leave "You owe me now. I'll have half of what you have, as standard"

"...Dammit..."

He scowled angrily at me as he stalked away, his pride shattered and his Pokémon no doubt depressed.

"Well...That went well..." I checked my winnings and nearly choked on the air I was inhaling "There's like...Five thousand Poké here!! That guy was loaded!! Holy crap!!"

'Well...That went well. How much can that get us?' Nocturne asked in genuine interest

"Well...On this, we can have a first class meal for dinner tonight. And for breakfast, lunch and dinner tomorrow"

'Well...Shall we?'

"I...Think not"

'Agh?! Why not?!'

"I think...I think we should save it. Just in case"

'Aw c'mon!! I'm hungry Lexus!! We all are!! Live a little!!'

"...Nocturne...You're a Pokémon. What the hell would you know about 'Living'?"

Nocturne opened his mouth to answer back but then abruptly shut it, knowing that he'd been beaten. It was true and he knew I was right. But that didn't stop me from feeling intensely guilty afterwards, we were barely in the first day of our journey and already I'd made my first partner somewhat unhappy.

"Agh...Gee...I'm sorry Nocturne...I didn't mean to snap at you like that..."

'Eh, it's okay...You're right, after all...Humans and Pokémon are just two different species...It stands to reason our ideas of 'Living' would be different'

"...Y'know something...I spent eight years of my life...Saving money to look after my team. C'mere you two"

'Why?' Chidori and Nocturne asked simultaneously

"We're going to get something to eat!"

-=-=-

Much to the happiness of my team, we returned to Petalburg City and headed for the nearest restaurant. It wasn't, to my relief, very expensive nor was it very classy but, after talking with Nocturne and Chidori, they decided they didn't care. They were famished and were more than happy to wolf down just about anything I put in front of them.

"Your orders, sir?" A waiter asked as I glanced around. The entire building had a crisp feel to it, it wasn't an overly expensive place, but it wasn't cheap city either. It had a nice, homey feel to it.

"Yeah...I'll have...Gawd...Uhm...I'll have the Beef Roast Dinner...And..."

'I'll have the...The...Spi...Spicy...No...Nood...' Nocturne stammered slightly with the name, causing me to grin

"My Skorupi will have the Spicy Noodles" That was written down

'Can I have the Crouton salad? I'm not a big fan of big meals...' Chidori whispered carefully

"And my Taillow will have the Crouton Salad"

"Of course sir. To drink?"

"Oran juice all round please"

"Of course. Thank you, sir"

"Thank you too"

-=-=-

I now knew an important fact. Nocturne had an odd love for spicy foods and Chidori absolutely hated them, while Nocturne hated light meals and Chidori loved them.

"Was that good or was that good?!" I asked quietly as the waiter took our desert bowls, all three of us indulging in a large bowl of Neapolitan ice cream.

'That was very good indeed' Nocturne commented, a large grin on his face

'I don't remember ever eating so good!' Chidori chirruped happily

"Well...Time to pay, I suppose" I muttered, getting up off the chair and tugging my jacket on, carrying my bag on my right shoulder.

I walked up to the cashier and handed them the bill, my heart racing and fear boiling in my gut. I'd not looked at any of the prices. Had we overspent?

"Right sir...That comes to six hundred Poké"

I tripped over my own thoughts and spluttered quietly.

"Wow...Ehehe...That's a lot cheaper than I thought!" I chuckled weakly

"Oh yes sir. We pride ourselves on serving high quality food at agreeable prices."

'Why is this place not packed?!!' Nocturne screeched loudly, as if cursing the empty tables

"What did your Pokémon say, sir?" The till operator asked

"He's just a wondering why your tables aren't packed. In fact, so am I..." I said rubbing the back of my head and hissing at the tangles once again. I dug into my wallet and withdrew seven notes, six one hundred notes and one fifty note. "The fifty is the tip, by the way"

"Thank you kindly sir"

I turned to leave, after placing my very full and very sleepy partners on my shoulders and then continued leaving, looking left and right for a place to stay. There were no hotels, an odd thing for a city with a Gym.

"Well guys..." I muttered to my sleepy partners "Looks like we're camping tonight..."

'Mhmm...Oh...Kay...' Nocturne whispered quietly

'...'

"Chidori?" I looked to my left and grinned at the bird, who was snoring ever so gently on my shoulder. "I'll just set up the tent, hm?"

-=-=-

-Arceus' POV-

Again, Altio had burst in, effectively blowing the doors off their hinges. Again. It didn't matter that they were self repairing, it was annoying, having to look at the crippled and broken doors strewn across the floors.

"What now, Altio?" I snapped. I was not in the mood for Altio's incessant bitching. Not after the day I'd just had

"I need you to keep Alita away from this...This human..."

"Oh for heaven's sake Altio, grow some bollocks!!"

"She is far too curious for her own good!!"

"Do I have to destroy you too?!" I snapped viciously "Shall I do to you what I did to your father?!"

Altio cringed suddenly as my voice reached a new height, the voice of God, a tone that could force any Pokémon or man to suddenly freeze in place.

"Because if you continue in your childish and distrustful ways, you shall follow him!!" I was more than angry now, much more than angry at the Grey haired figure before me. "Did you know your precious 'Pappa' did just this to your mother?! And look at her!! Once your father died, she didn't know what to do!! She was lost, because no one was giving her orders!!"

Altio sunk to his knees, the sheer force of my tone forcing him down into a submissive position.

"...I...I...I only...W-want...T-to...Protect my...S-s-sister...A-Arc..." Altio managed to stammer

"It doesn't matter Altio." My tone vanished and Altio gave a deep sigh of relief "Altio. Your sister was born with an unnatural curiosity. It's a fact that every Latias is curious, she is no different from your mother, or your aunts, or your grandmother."

"...I don't want her...To...To...F...F..."

"What? Don't want her to..."

"F...Fa...Fall..."

I laughed, loudly, the laughter made my whole frame shake, made my hair shake violently.

"Oh dear...Oh by Arc mustn't use my name in vain but oh dear oh dear this is hilarious"

"What?! What's so funny?!!"

"You're worried that Alita will fall in love with this human?! Oh my dearest heavens give me strength. You're afraid that...That Alita will fall in love with...Oh dear...He's a human. Most humans don't fall in love with Pokémon, Altio. If we could gather **all** the humans and ask them whether they love Pokémon or other humans, around sixty seven percent of them would instantly call human."

"How do you know this?" Altio asked me suddenly, an eyebrow cocked in suspicion

"...Who am I, Altio?" I asked, my emerald eyes narrowed

"...You...Are...Arceus...The Alpha Pokémon, the Pokémon Goddess"

"Exactly. I know everything Altio, may the emptiness of the void give me strength"

Altio sighed heavily as he stared at me. This was not a normal stare; this was a stare that told many a tale of pain, suffering, loneliness. Hatred.

"Tell me, Altio. Why do you hate humans? And don't tell me you don't because I know you do. And if you say it's because they got your father killed, I break your back, then repair it, then break your back again."

"...I...I'm...I was once in love with a human female..."

"...Oh?"

"Yeah. Back when I was Alita's age, which translates to about sixteen, seventeen in human years. She was...Ugh...She was perfect...We were in love...And...She was going to bear my child..."

"How long ago was this?"

"...Uhm...Well, years ago...I was...I was about...Twenty, then..."

"And you are now?"

"Thirty nine. Anyway...She was going to bear my child. Her parents adored me, she adored me. Of course, she knew my true identity and her parents didn't. We decided, about a month and a half into the pregnancy...That we would tell them. They were...Disgusted and...One night, when I was out doing a speed run, to clear my thoughts they..." Altio cringed as tears slid down his cheeks "They..."

"Don't...Don't say it, Altio."

"...I...I was so...So...**Angry**...I...I got revenge, I destroyed their livelihood, I razed their farm to the ground, used my psychic to incinerate all their money...Left them penniless, with no hope of ever picking up where they left off...But still..."

"...You're blaming yourself. And you don't want Alita to face the same thing as you did..."

Altio nodded somberly, his eyes red from the crying he'd been doing while telling this tale.

"If she was to fall in love with this human, or any human, and...The situation became the same as I'd faced..." he paused, taking a deep breath "If the others found out...They'd kill her chosen human...They'd kill him...Revive him then, just to make sure he could never darken their lives, they'd send him to the void, to suffer for all eternity"

I nodded, realising that, even with my Alpha tone, they'd not listen, they'd force their souls to break, just to kill any human that 'Corrupted' the young Eon Pokémon.

"...I will not allow my mistakes...My rage and my lust for vengeance and forgiveness...I shall not allow it!!" His eyes widened angrily as a blast of energy surged off his body, shifting him into his Latios form.

"Altio. Remember this" I began to shift back into my Pokémon form "You can't change Alita's path in this life. You can't even dissuade her, she is far more stubborn than you, far more stubborn even that Dialga. And we all know what she's like, right?"

Altio chuckled weakly as his burning rage filled every corner of his being

"...I'll watch her. I'll not interfere...But I'll make sure she is protected. I'll explain this to her, explain the importance of this. If she is to fall for any human..."

I smiled gently as he vanished in his usual cloud of blue tinted grey down. Altio was learning, slowly, to forgive the humans of his past, learning to forgive humans as a whole. Sure, he'd always feel a burning anger for them and may never fully trust them.

"But it's a start, right?"

"Uh huh. He'll get there in the end, Arc. I can feel it in my bones"

"Shay...That is just creepy. I wish you wouldn't say that"

"Sorry. I take it all of what I just heard is deadly secret?"

"It is Shay. If any of the others hear of this, I know who to look to first."

Shay stepped out of the shadows of a pillar and dropped to one knee, raking a razor leaf over her wrist and letting the blood spill out.

"On the blood I've just spilt, I shall never tell another living soul of the events that have passed here today"

"Good. I'll hold you too it."

-=-=-

AN – The end of another chapter. I hope what I'm doing is acceptable. If you believe I'm showing far too much of the legendaries, just tell me and I'll cut them down a bit. Though I might have Arc to deal with afterwards *Hides under duvet*

M-R


	3. Chapter 3

AN - Well, here it is, the third chapter. And after a brutal review from the Author Farla (Seriously guys, you'd all better hope your fictions are up to scratch. This author barely typed anything and still managed to make me feel like dirt) I took some suggestions from Lord Genesis Shadow and I think I might have done something to help...Placate the brutally honest author. So...Thanks Farla, for opening my eyes a bit more.

Disclaimer - We all know the drill. Original characters are my own, save for Gene "Zero" Alastor. Personalities are my own. I do not own Pokémon.

-=-=-

-Lexus' point of view-

I was forced into the land of the living by the scuffling noises outside my tent. I looked around the small two man tent and found my partners were missing. I added two and two together, coming to the conclusion that Nocturne and Chidori were outside, having some sort of fight or a play around.

I poked my head out the tent and had my suspicions confirmed, they were indeed having a play fight, swinging with real speed but managing to feint the blow before it contacted. A quick scuffle on the ground threw dirt up into my face, causing me to hack and splutter, which resulted in the two Pokémon halting suddenly and glance up at my disgruntled face.

'Uhm...Good...Morning?' Nocturne offered, his red skin dulled by the dust that clung to it

"Indeed" I replied sleepily, a somewhat bitter tone in my usually cheerful voice

'...I dunno about Nocturne...' Chidori spoke up 'But I'm sorry for waking you'

'Hey, I am too y'know!!' Nocturne chipped in 'But...Well, we got a bit bored and though we'd...Uh...What's the word for it?'

"Spar?" I spat at random

'Yeah! That's the one!' Nocturne replied happily, his grin fading when he noticed the slightly less than cheerful look on my face 'I guess for a human, this is pretty early huh?'

"Yeah. My watch says six. In the morning. Seriously. How can you two be awake this early?"

Nocturne laughed quickly, again hiding his grin when he caught sight of my intensely dark stare

'Well...Pokémon have different lifestyles than humans...So maybe that's why?' Chidori guessed weakly

"Ah...Screw it, I'm awake now, so I might as well indulge you little scamps and get up"

Nocturne grinned quickly then, with a playful snarl, started up the scuffle once again, rolling around in the dry dirt with Chidori who, in spite of her flight based form, was quite nimble on the ground.

-=-=-

I mentally kicked myself as I stumbled into Petalburg City once again, this time looking for some sort of store that sold food, a store that, preferably, wasn't a pokemart. Pokemart food, while full to bursting with all the important vitamins and minerals needed to maintain a healthy body, had the odd habit of tasting like plastic. Not that I knew what plastic tasted like, but there were certain occasions where a sandwich I'd bought, say a BLT for example, where the meat would be kinda...

Tough. And not the hard to chew tough. I mean the same consistency as my trainer card tough. I could probably get a better meal out of my trainer card, should I ever be possessed to eat it. Which I knew for a fact I never would be, because the last time I checked, plastic and human insides didn't go well together.

But Petalburg city wasn't Celadon City and I knew that, what with the combined growling of my stomach, Chidori's stomach and Nocturne's stomach, well I knew that if we didn't get some sort of food in there soon that I'd have two hungry Pokémon and a hungry teenager.

But what I also knew was that if we didn't get something to eat soon, we wouldn't get very far in Petalburg Woods. So, reduced to my least favourite source of food, I walked into the Pokemart, dragged myself to the food chiller and (literally) slammed my face on the glass, glaring at the assortment of not very appetizing sandwiches, all the while ignoring the disapproving glares from the shop attendants.

In the end, I settled with the Chicken and Stuffing sandwich, a can of Sitrus juice and a pack of Spelon berry flavoured crisps. Nocturne and Chidori, being the pint sized Pokémon they were, shared a sushi tray (to which ended in great laughs as Nocturne tried to be tough and tried the Wasabi. Given a few minutes to 'savour' the flavour, he then proceeded to dunk his little head in the Petalburg pond) and a can of Lum juice.

"Well Nocturne...How do you feel about spicy stuff now?!" I asked him as I roared with laughter while trying not to spill my can of berry juice everywhere

'Aw shut up...You'd have done the same' was the icy reply I received

'C'mon now Nocturne, none of us knew how hot that stuff would be. Any one of us three could have tried it' Chidori encouraged as I walked towards Petalburg Woods. 'At least you're not burnt'

Nocturne shut his mouth after that, after all, it was very true.

-=-=-

Well this was certainly cheerful. Petalburg Woods, at about seven thirty in the morning, was full to bursting with Pokémon, mostly young Pokémon. It was the perfect place to go on a catching spree!

"Hey Chidori, ready to earn your first catch?" I asked, tilting my head to the bird on my left shoulder

'You bet I am Lexus!' Chidori replied, nodding enthusiastically

"Alrighty then. Let's just wait for our...Uh...Victim..."

Jumping into the grass, I was assaulted by a bout of sneezing. No Pokémon. I scowled angrily and stalked out of the grass and headed for the next patch, ready to rustle up a Shroomish. I'd done a bit of research on Shroomish and I knew that catching one would be extremely advantageous to my team.

'Hey, Lexus...Look behind you...Quietly now...' Nocturne whispered into my ear, his monotone sounding strange with the hushed volume.

I turned on my heel quickly and saw not one, but two Shroomish. This was a problem, as I knew they'd both retaliate should I attack first, and I didn't know whether Chidori could handle two Pokémon at the same time, even if she did have the type advantage.

"Okay then. Nocturne, you take the right. Chidori, the left."

'Got it Lex' Nocturne muttered, creeping down his arm.

'Right away' Chidori chirruped brightly as she fluttered slowly down to the ground.

As the two Pokémon crept over to their targets, I held my breath, anxious and fearful. Shroomish weren't known for their physical strength and even though my two friends had type advantages, they could still be wounded.

"Now!! Peck!! Bite!!" I ordered, my loud voice shocking the two Shroomish

'Right away!!' Nocturne and Chidori replied simultaneously, lunging forwards

Chidori shot forwards and rammed into her Shroomish, knocking it backwards. The move had, it appeared, been a feint, as the Shroomish immediately released a cloud of spores into the air, its small pudgy body quivering in fear and pain.

"Now's my chance!!" I cried, flinging the pokeball at the confused Shroomish. The pokeball flew forwards and rapped the Shroomish on the head. Nothing. The pokeball didn't open; it just lay on the floor next to the now sleeping Shroomish. "What happened?!"

'From the spores clinging to the pokeball, I'd say the pokeballs all gummed up' Nocturne replied hastily, standing happily in a cloud of poison powder.

"Chidori!! Blow away the spores!!" I cried quickly, suddenly remembering the small bird flapping by my ear, waiting for orders.

'On it!' Chidori fluttered forwards started beating her wings, for all she was worth, blowing the spores away from Shroomish and off the pokeball. Chidori, as quickly as she could, rolled the pokeball over to my foot, smiling up at me proudly.

"Good show, Chidori!"

Chidori beamed wider at the praise, seemingly unused to gaining loving praise from a friend. I picked up the pokeball and, after blowing off any clinging spore, flung it forwards again. The pokeball rapped the Shroomish once again, opening and drawing it in with a bright flash of light.

'No you don't!' Nocturne hissed at the remaining Shroomish who, all things given, had done well and was now trying to escape. Nocturne spun as fast as he could and brought his tail round, slapping the Shroomish square on the face and knocking it into a peaceful oblivion.

The pokeball rocked quickly, locking after only the second shake. Obviously, the Shroomish inside was more battered than I originally thought, it was a very rare occurrence for a pokeball to lock after only the second shake.

"Well...Here's our Rustboro beater..." I muttered, picking up the pokeball as it whined incessantly, its warning that the occupant was at a level of health that was deemed unacceptable. "I hear you, jeez, shut up..."

I yanked the potion off my belt and unscrewed the cap, placing the nozzle against the button and spraying the potion, emptying the small bottle. Quickly, the whining halted and I released Shroomish who, despite being battered by Chidori and smacked on the head, twice, by a pokeball, seemed quite happy.

'So...I take it I'm goin' wit' you guys now?' the Shroomish asked in a strangely accented voice.

"Yeah, that's kinda the plan..." I told, rubbing the back of my head "So how does...Kosuke sound?"

'...Hm...I like it. Kosuke, at yer service!' Kosuke performed a small bow, which looked more to be a nod.

'Welcome to our haphazard clan, Kosuke' Nocturne muttered as he returned to his spot on my left shoulder, while Chidori merely grinned, flapping up to rest on my right.

"Sorry, but the shoulders are taken..." I laughed nervously "Is the pokeball alright with you?"

'Heck, as long as I'm somewhere, I don't really mind' Kosuke admitted cheerfully.

"Alrighty then. Kosuke, return!" I pointed the pokeball at him and the thin red light shot out, drawing him back in. "Okay, now we've got three team members. But...Uhm..." I looked around hopelessly, grinning like a fool. "But we're lost. Kosuke, guide us!!"

I threw the pokeball once more and released Kosuke who looked me up and down quickly.

'So, where're we goin', leader guy?' he asked gruffly

"We need to get to Rustboro City."

'Ah, ol' rusty city, right, gotcha. This way then, leader guy and shoulder baggage.' Kosuke cackled at his own joke, even though the mutterings of 'That wasn't very funny...' escaped his lips soon afterwards, as if regretting his choice of words. 'So...Uhm...Have ye' caught me fer the sole purpose of beatin' the Rusty people?'

My eyes widened at his question. Had many of his friends and family members been taken away from him, just for the sake of battling Roxanne, the leader of the Rustboro Gym?

"I take it you've been reunited with members of your family, after they've been taken?" I asked solemnly.

'Yup...Regularly. Actually, the red guy took out my buddy. He returned about three hours ago.'

"Yeesh..." I rubbed the back of my head, feeling a coil of heat blaze in my gut. "Sorry about that"

'Eh, it's okay. He likened this...Trainer business to a family kinda thang...But his jus' didn't last long.'

"Don't worry buddy. I ain't getting rid of you any time soon." I promised, causing him to halt suddenly and whip around, his face wearing an emotion I'd not seen before in anyone, human or Pokémon.

'Serious business? Or you jus' sayin' that t' make me happy?' Kosuke inquired, his face wearing a disbelieving frown.

"Buddy, I've researched the gyms in Hoenn and to be honest, I'm going to need all the help I can get. You, in the words of Nocturne, are a member of our haphazard clan." I told him, beaming brightly. "That's a life sentence, right there."

The look on Kosuke's face was one that would look good captured in photo. It was a priceless look that told how much he craved the sort of loving contact I would give, how he craved adventure outside his typical boring life.

"Well, we ain't getting anything done just standing here! Let's get going!" I cheered, grinning widely

'Right-oh! This-a-way, leader friend and shoulder friends!' Kosuke cried cheerfully

All in all, it seemed like we were all going to be having a good day. At least, that's what I originally thought, until some black wearing thug rammed into me and grabbed Nocturne. Now Nocturne may be quite small and, even though his red skin is very pretty, he was not a weak pretty boy type of Pokémon. He was the type of Pokémon that didn't like manhandling or, in his case, scorp-handling.

'Hey!! Lemme go!!' He squawked angrily, his tail flapping indignantly 'Okay that's it!!' Squirming in the man's grasp, Nocturne positioned himself in such a way that he could quite easily sink the pincers on his tail into the man's neck, which he did, with great glee and a vicious little cackle, the cackle becoming more of a hysteric laugh as the man toppled over, rolling head over heels while screaming in blind rage due to the pain. 'And let that be a lesson to you!!'

"Hey Noc! I hope you haven't killed him!!" I yelled, tapping my foot impatiently

'Nah, he'll be fine. I didn't inject any venom, luckily for him' Nocturne called back as he skittered over to me once more.

"Hey! My Skorupi says if you don't get to Kanto and find the rare blue and red flower of the Indigo Plateau before four pee-em tomorrow evening, you'll die!!" I called, grinning sadistically as the man screamed in fear and sprinted away.

Nocturne clambered up my body and, upon reaching my shoulder, slapped the back of my head with his tail.

'What the hell was that?!'

"Me getting my own revenge on him." I answered honestly "That'll teach him to try and scorp-nap you."

'Wow...Y'know, when you wanna be, you can be a really nasty piece of work. You...You do know that, right?' Nocturne asked me, his blue eyes narrowed in suspicion

"Buddy, you don't even know the half of it."

-=-=-

We exited Petalburg Woods relatively quickly and as soon as we reached sunlight, Nocturne clouted me around the head with his tail. Again. I returned Kosuke, thanking him as I did so and hissed at Nocturne, who smacked me once more.

'That was the easiest thing ever!! How did you not figure that out?!' He yelled at me, obviously frustrated with my intelligence, or lack thereof.

"Hey whoa, calm down Noc. So I didn't see the obvious path, I'm sorry. Geez that hurts..." I rubbed the back of my head quickly, feeling a bit sore now, that was thrice in fifteen minutes I'd been smacked round the back of the head and Nocturne's tail wasn't very soft.

I looked around. It was kinda simple, a tacky looking flower shop, lots of trainers and a bridge over water. Ignoring the subtle creaking of the wooden bridge took more concentration than I expected it too and after standing stock still for a few seconds, I decided that the best thing for it would be to just get stuck in with some battles, earn some more money and then hurry over the bridge to the relative safety of the other bank.

Theoretically, this worked. But in practice, the most logical and favourable plans never ever work out how you want them too. I knew this was a fact, but I could still hold hope. I stepped forwards, my confidence shaken slightly and tapped the figure in front of me on the shoulder.

"Wah!!" the female squawked, terrified by my subtle touch.

"Whoa!! Sorry!!" I yelped back at her quickly, hoping no one was staring. Who was I kidding? Everyone was staring, a girl just shrieked at the top of her voice, who wouldn't stare? "I was...Just wondering if you wanted to battle."

"Battle? Well..." The girl flashed a smile at me as she grabbed her only pokeball "Go, Ziggy!!"

The pokeball was thrown and, upon opening, released a Zigzagoon, a small Pokémon well known for its potent nose. It was often used as a sniffer for luggage at airports and the like, though they were also used by their owners to hunt down their lost objects i.e. keys. This Zigzagoon seemed ready to go, it was bouncing on the spot, its nose working over time as it sniffed the air, no doubt trying to guess what Pokémon I'd use.

'Hey! Hey! C'mon! Let's go! C'mon!!' It yelped, bouncing on the spot rapidly. Strange, hyper little Pokémon.

"Kosuke!! Let's give it a shot!!" I cried, flinging Kosuke's pokeball into the fray. It opened, releasing Kosuke who, surprising me, Chidori and Nocturne equally, snorted at the Zigzagoon.

'C'mon then, ye lil fleabag!' Kosuke taunted 'I'll teach yer to mess wit' me!'

Kosuke had some accent issues to take care of, the poor Zigzagoon ahead of him didn't have a clue what was just said to him and, in his moment of distraction, Kosuke had drained him of his physical strength before I could even tell him to do so.

"...Checkmate?" I hummed quietly, a wide grin on my face.

"...Crap..." She hissed, glaring at the dancing mushroom-like figure. "I take it you want...Half?"

"Indeed." I chirruped, my eyes glinting. I wasn't greedy, but I liked to save money. Was I greedy in the art of saving? Something to consider, in the far far future. "Thanks very much."

"Ah, get outta here before I scream 'Rape'." She scowled viciously.

"Right oh! C'mon Kosuke!"

'I'm a-comin'; I'm a-comin'...' The small mushroom quipped quickly, tailing me expertly.

I decided to keep my head low; avoiding eye contact with every living thing I walked past. But then my dreaded enemy appeared, the terrible, terrifying, horrible monstrosity known as a bridge. I stepped onto it, my eyes narrowing as it creaked angrily under my weight, the ripples it made causing me to suddenly discover my inability to draw breath.

It had started when I was a kid. I'd fallen off a bridge in Kanto and had inevitably sunk, as many do when they fall in unexpectedly. I'd gotten caught in the seaweed and had almost drowned, almost, when...Something...Saved me. Didn't know what it was, or who it was, but I'd been saved and I was eternally grateful to that something.

I took another weak step, forcing air into my lungs as the bridge continued creaking angrily. It was times like these that made me wish I was braver about the world around me, I could have learnt to swim and I could have learnt to fight. But my fears were stronger than my heart and thus, I stayed at home, playing video games and getting slowly more terrified of the world as the number of games on my shelf increased at a dramatically high rate.

Another step, then another after that, my heart thudding in my chest so hard that it was causing minute ripples to appear in the water, which was not helping me at all. Bridges were scary. Seriously.

It was times like these that I wished I could have been born rich. I could have used a Lapras to gently ferry me across the water, leaving me to alight from her shell, laugh heartily and return her to her Pokéball, swaggering into Rustboro. Or maybe an Aerodactyl, gliding from one side to the other in ancient confidence, leaving me to leap off his tough body and laugh heartily and...I shook my head briefly. Time to let reality sink in. I'm a nobody, with three young Pokémon, no badges and a rather ridiculous fear of water.

'Don't be such a wimp, dammit!' I cursed mentally, forcing my legs to slide forwards, my thoughts entirely on crossing the bridge. One foot forward. Then the other. And repeat. And repeat.

I edged forwards again, noting that the bridge hadn't given me an angry creak. I looked around and noted three things. One, the bridge wasn't as long as my fear had made it out to be, Two, I had crossed the bridge very quickly in my fear and Three, I now looked like an idiot.

I quickly ran into Rustboro city, avoiding the mixture of hilarity, pity and deadpan that assaulted the back of my head.

-=-=-

AN - Wow...That chapter was a battle and a half. It felt like swimming through concrete. Seriously, it is not easy. I have tried it. Okay, I haven't, but still, it's a theoretical thing.

AN2 - Chapter edited, after a disgruntled reader pointed out that I was being a bit ridiculous by using non-Pokémon references. That has been replaced with something a bit more Pokémon related. Apologies, Yamikage-Shadow!! *Bows*

M-R


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